Nick had never felt so guilty. Even though an entire week had passed since he had auditioned Judy Hopps, he had not touched the money she had handed to him with trembling paws. From time to time, the fox would glance at the wallet he had put it into carefully, contemplating on what he should spent it on. He had so many things he had to buy: from food to a new carpet as the one he had gotten years ago had gained an odd smell no one could wash out of it... He also needed a new lock on his door: a few weeks back his neighbour had accidentally taken his spare key from under the welcome mat where it had been hidden. Nothing was missing yet, but in such a neighbourhood, who knew when that would change.

He had ended up paying rent a month ahead just to be safe. Kamilla, the darling had slipped him a few extra notes, batting her eyelashes. Nick was never the one to refuse some extra cash, especially not from such vile ladies who wanted to win over each other by buying the judge's heart. So maybe he was not the most respectable - or honest, really - animals around... But he also had no choice. At least his heart was in the right place or so the fox would often think, unlike so many others'.

At least he still felt guilt gnaw at his gut almost painfully. He so badly wanted to just call Judy Hopps back and give her back her money. Maybe that way she could have found another audition. Maybe that way, the uneasiness, the darkness in the fox's mind would have slipped away.

And yet, he did nothing. He was a coward like that, acting only when it was absolutely necessary. Maybe he could have had a proper job had he not been so terrified of what others would have said. A fox working as a cashier? Or a waiter?

Just how ridiculous was that, really!

"I bet she went back home already," he would tell himself from time to time as he crafted fresh schemes to earn money. After all, that was the most likely option. He had told her and the others that were they accepted, he would call back in twenty-four hours. That had long passed. Most probably, all three had thought that he had chosen one of the others. That had been the plan, after all.

Luckily for him, things were going well. No angry parents had called demanding a refund, and no crying girls had knocked on his door, pleading for another chance. The latter had happened once with a young hippo-girl who thought that she owned the world. How she had found Nick was still a mystery. A terrifying one.

The fox shuddered at the thought as he posted his advertisement after looking it over once more. He was trying something new this time: an audition as many times, but for dancing this time. He wasn't sure if he wanted to listen to anymammal for a while. He preferred silence, anyway.

It was only the poor little bunny's voice that had struck his fancy enough to make him want to hear it again. He was so glad that he had actually recorded her. At night when the darkness of his room seemed to be buzzing with the demons of his past, he listened to her beautiful song and allowed himself to forget just where he was and why. Once, he had even dreamt of something so perfect, so nice he wished it was true: him despite being a fox as an actual manager for Judy Hopps... the very Judy Hopps who in the dream was already famous enough to have her own recording label. She seemed more mature in the dream and very confident., too. Just perfect, really.

It had been so disappointing to wake from such sweet fantasies of the fox's cruel mind.

Another day or two passed and Nick held another audition. This time, all of the applicants were plain bad. They could not dance at all. Somehow, that had made him feel a bit more content with himself. After all, no talent was to be wasted because of him.

It was on a stormy day, almost two weeks after the little rabbit had stolen his heart with her singing that he saw the flyer. He was walking home from a cafe, humming to himself with eyes half shut. He liked the gloomy atmosphere, the way how the sun was not glaring at him from the sky. The blanket of clouds hiding it from his view seemed more friendly, for some reason. The wind was blowing and rain was falling hard, soaking his fur by ease. He knew that it was going to be a pain to fry up, but he had no hood or umbrella.

Deep in thought, he ended up walking into a pole, his muzzle hitting it was a painful thud. He fell back, sniggering at himself as he landed on his bottom. Just how could he be so clumsy, really?

Looking up, his eyes fell on a piece of paper, barely making out what it was saying.

It was for an actual audition, or so it seemed. Singing... at one of the main theatres of the city, too. His mind instantly wandered to Judy Hopps. She probably knew already. Maybe she even had the money for it. Just how ironic would it have been if she ended up getting discovered there? Deep down, Nick hoped for her success.

But as he headed home, he did not hear the distressed cries of help that echoed from a small, hidden alley. Humming to himself, he shut the noise of the world out..

If only he had been a little more attentive...